The Men of Iron Minute

by Tony Galati | Iron Rep – Lancaster, PA

From Friend to Mentor

There are so many positives when it comes to a friendship moving to a mentorship. You know each other more than you would starting a mentorship with a complete stranger or even an acquaintance.

Since trust is such a big part of mentorship, you can see how this can be an advantage.

But there could be some disadvantages to a close friend becoming your mentor or protege as well. Knowing someone really well could have a negative effect on mentorship. It doesn’t always, but it is something I want to bring attention to.

Let me explain. When we have a close friendship with our mentor/protege, we may think we know everything about him and maybe not ask the proper questions or dig deep enough. We often assume or feel guilty when we don’t know certain personal things about them that we feel we should, and then become too embarrassed to ask.

I think a great way to combat this is by saying, “Hey, we’ve been good friends for a while, but I hear mentorship is going to take this to the next level so let’s not be afraid to say or ask what’s really on our mind.”

This will help you become much better friends.

Another possible disadvantage is when we are in a mentorship with someone who is a little too much like us. Like, if you find your telling each other what big procrastinators you both are it may be a good idea to seek someone else that can offer more consistent or firmer accountability. Or you may find yourselves letting each other off the hook easily and rationalizing or bargaining your way to failure.

I believe as long as we identify the possible negatives or obstacles as well as the positives of taking a friendship to a mentorship we will be equipped to have a successful experience, or even decide to choose another man for that role.

Regardless, that relationship you do have is probably special, so don’t discount all the other ways it can help in your journey. It is ok if mentorship is not part of it, but sharpening each other always should be.

So think about that, if you are ready for a mentorship, is there someone you are close to that can provide it, or do you need to expand your search. Feel free to ask us for help. Check out our website, we even have a video on how to choose  a mentor and I would be glad to talk to you personally as well. You can reach me at tonyg@menofiron.org. We are here to serve you and look forward to hearing from you.

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